Beyond the obvious

Having uploaded to numerous websites which allow photographers to share their images with a world-wide audience I've come to some interesting conclusions. Each website has it's own audience and character, although I have noticed that like me there are other promiscuous photographers who upload to more than one site. I may upload the same picture to different sites and the reaction will be completely different. Some sites, like altphoto are open about their preferences. They want to see 'alternative' photography and warn photographers not to upload sunsets and flowers - two subjects that are very popular on ephotozine . In many ways these websites for photographers to showcase their work and get feedback play the role of amateur photography clubs, albeit on a much bigger scale. Conforming to any of them, in the sense of pandering to the predominant taste on the site, can be detrimental to your photography. This is especially true if you take photographs to please a speci...

Today I discovered a site which allows you to print on demand and publish books and calendars. Printing is done digitally, mostly with Xerox printers. Ag magazine tested the product and seemed happy with it. I'd advise anyone considering using the service to read everything carefully, including the forums. It seems to work for many people, but not everyone is a happy customer. I may give it a try, after doing some more research. The advantage of using the site is that they will help you market your book on the net. You only pay for the copies that get printed plus a commission on the copies that get sold, but you can set your own price. Check it out at www.lulu.com If any of my readers has tried the service I'd love to hear from you. Paul Indigo

A lot gets written about colour profiling your printer and indeed you can get inkjet printers perfectly and professionally profiled. But there is a cost involved. Most amateurs will not go to these lengths. So here's a quick easy and cheap method of doing it. Buy a colour card. Photograph it. Print it out using the same settings you would for your photographs. Choose the paper you like and stick to it. What you are trying to do is limit the variables so that you can predict results in the future. Now instead of adjusting the printer settings to get the colours right, use Photoshop and tweak it until the colours in your test prints match your target (the colour card) as closely as possible. Your monitor is probably not calibrated so don't worry that it doesn't look right on screen. You're aiming for the best print possible. Once you've worked out how you need to change the colours in Photoshop to produce a good print on the particular paper of your choice you can tak...

I'm really busy at the moment so please forgive the long delay in posting new info to the blog. In the meantime, this site is worth a visit. It provides a lens calculator which displays the angle of view of all the lenses in the Nikon Nikkor AF Lens range. It is compatible with all the 35mm film SLRs and all the digital SLRs from Nikkon (like the Nikon D100), as well as the camera bodies that take a Nikon-fit lens (such as the Kodak DCS 14n or the Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro). Hope you find it helpful too: www.sweeting.org/mark/lenses/nikon.php Paul Indigo

UPDATE 28 March 2008: Although I wrote this article almost three years ago I have notice that is visited almost every day. So a quick update. I now shoot with Canon cameras although my wife and fellow pro still uses Nikon. Both manufacturers make great cameras. I use Lightroom to develop my RAW images and shoot using the most neutral setting. I'm happy with the results and I don't use custom curves when shooting anymore. Still the information below may be useful and the principals of science apply as they always will. ORIGINAL START OF ARTICLE I often use tone, or as they are also known, custom curves on my digital slr. Other photographers have asked me to explain what they are. So here's my brief overview. I do most of my digital photography nowadays with a Nikon D70 digital slr. It's light, doesn't cost the earth and does all I need it to. The quality, if you know how to extract it is superb and can happily be used for everything from magazine covers to superb lar...

I've already posted a list of the sites for sharing your images. Two more have come to my attention. Both look good. www.altphotos.com This site features mainly people. They don't want boring photographs. Lots of good art stuff. www.photopoints.com/main/ Loads of features and stuff on this site. Well worth a look. Paul Indigo

Here are some of my tips for photographing people at evening events like balls, parties and gatherings. Top tips are: Make sure all your equipment is in perfect order Take a backup camera if you can Test your flash beforehand and do a few shots in similar lighting conditions to check that all the settings are right. Remember if you're shooting digitally and relying on flash to set the white balance for flash/daylight not auto When photographing get people's attention and get them to look at the lense. Be assertive. Don't be afraid to ask them to pose for more than one shot but remember you also can't keep them hanging on waiting for you. Get everything set, then go in and take the shot as quickly as you can, 30 seconds per shot. Try some innovative angles. Stand on a chair or shoot down from a stage or whatever is available It is really important to watch your backgrounds. Keep them clean. Avoid light sources in the background that can be distracting Have fun. If you...